Cake is a mixture of flour, liquid, eggs, and sugar, with
or without butter, made light by the use of yeast, as in the
old fasliioned "election cake " ; by air beaten into the batter,
as in man})- sponge cakes ; or, most often, by the use of bak-
ing powder. The egg, like the gluten of the flour, retains
the gas till the cake is set by the heat. Gingerbread, and
plain dark fruit cake, are often made with soda and sour
milk, part of the acid being supplied by the molasses used.
In these the egg is sometimes omitted. Cake made with
butter is cup or pound cake, as the materials are measured
or weighed. Sponge cake is always made without butter.
The following are the general rules for cakemaking : —
1. The oven should be read}^ before the work is begun.
An oven which will turn a piece of white paper dark yellow
in five minutes is considered right for cup cakes. Sponge,
and fruit, or pound cakes, require less heat, and the test
paper should turn light j^ellow in five minutes when the
oven is right for them. If there is too much heat the gas
will escape from the cake before the egg has time to set,
and the cake will fall ; if the oven is too slow the cake will
not rise sutficientl}", and will be of coarse texture. Layer
and small cakes need more heat than loaf cake.
2. All materials should be ready, and the pans greased,
and lined Avitli paper, if loaf cake is made, before the work~
of combination begins.
o. For butter cake the general rule for combining in-
gredients is as follows: Cream the butter, add the sugar
graduall}", then the beaten eggs, and beat vigorously; add
the flour, sifted with the baking powder and salt, alternatel}^
with the milk ; flavor, add imts and fruit dredged with flour,
if any are to be used, and bake immediately. A more deli-
cate cake is made by separating the 3^olks and whites of the
CAKE 267
eggs, adding the beaten yolks to tlie butter and sugar, and
cutting or folding in the stiffly beaten whites just before
putting the cake into the oven.
For sponge cake beat the egg yolks till thick and yellow,
add the sugar gradually, then the stiffly beaten whites, and
last of all fold in the flour sifted with the salt.
4. The mixing is most easily done with a wooden spoon.
A Dover egg-beater, or a wire whisk, is the most satisfactory
utensil for beating the eggs. After adding the eggs, beat the
mixture rather than stir it, in order not to break the air
bubbles formed.
5. Pastry flour gives a more delicate cake than bread
flour. If the latter is used, a little less is required than of
pastry flour. The flour must always be sifted before measur-
ing, as in all cookery, and sifted again when the baking
powder has been added. Fine granulated or powdered
sugar gives a cake of finer texture than a coarse sugar.
6. A layer cake will bake in twenty minutes, while a loaf
requires longer, the time varying with the size of the loaf.
The cake is done when it shrinks from the edge of the pan,
and when it springs back into place after pressure with the
finger.
7. When taken from the oven the cake should be removed
from the pan, and left to cool upon a wire cake-cooler. It
should be kept in a tin box or closely covered jar.
Rule.
Cup Cake. — 2 cups sugar, -| cup butter, 3 eggs, 1 cup milk,
3 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon flavoring
(lemon or orange)✪ Cup Cake, ^ teaspoon salt.
Page 123 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Cake is a mixture of flour, liquid, eggs, and sugar, with or without butter, made light by the use of yeast, as in the old fashioned "election cake " ; by air beaten into the batter, as in many sponge cakes ; or, most often, by the use of baking powder. The egg, like the gluten of the flour, retains the gas till the cake is set by the heat. Gingerbread, and plain dark fruit cake, are often made with soda and sour milk, part of the acid being supplied by the molasses used. In these the egg is sometimes omitted. Cake made with butter is cup or pound cake, as the materials are measured or weighed. Sponge cake is always made without butter.
The following are the general rules for cakemaking : —
1. The oven should be ready before the work is begun. An oven which will turn a piece of white paper dark yellow in five minutes is considered right for cup cakes. Sponge, and fruit, or pound cakes, require less heat, and the test paper should turn light yellow in five minutes when the oven is right for them. If there is too much heat the gas will escape from the cake before the egg has time to set, and the cake will fall ; if the oven is too slow the cake will not rise sufficiently, and will be of coarse texture. Layer and small cakes need more heat than loaf cake.
2. All materials should be ready, and the pans greased, and lined with paper, if loaf cake is made, before the work of combination begins.
o. For butter cake the general rule for combining ingredients is as follows: Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, then the beaten eggs, and beat vigorously; add the flour, sifted with the baking powder and salt, alternately with the milk ; flavor, add imts and fruit dredged with flour, if any are to be used, and bake immediately. A more delicate cake is made by separating the yolks and whites of the
CAKE 267
eggs, adding the beaten yolks to tlie butter and sugar, and cutting or folding in the stiffly beaten whites just before putting the cake into the oven.
For sponge cake beat the egg yolks till thick and yellow, add the sugar gradually, then the stiffly beaten whites, and last of all fold in the flour sifted with the salt.
4. The mixing is most easily done with a wooden spoon. A Dover egg-beater, or a wire whisk, is the most satisfactory utensil for beating the eggs. After adding the eggs, beat the mixture rather than stir it, in order not to break the air bubbles formed.
5. Pastry flour gives a more delicate cake than bread flour. If the latter is used, a little less is required than of pastry flour. The flour must always be sifted before measuring, as in all cookery, and sifted again when the baking powder has been added. Fine granulated or powdered sugar gives a cake of finer texture than a coarse sugar.
6. A layer cake will bake in twenty minutes, while a loaf requires longer, the time varying with the size of the loaf. The cake is done when it shrinks from the edge of the pan, and when it springs back into place after pressure with the finger.
7. When taken from the oven the cake should be removed from the pan, and left to cool upon a wire cake-cooler. It should be kept in a tin box or closely covered jar.
Rule.
Cup Cake. — 2 cups sugar, -| cup butter, 3 eggs, 1 cup milk, 3 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon flavoring (lemon or orange), ^ teaspoon salt.
Records on this page
Cup Cake